Final Fantasy X2: Paine's Story
by ede-insnity
Summary: Paine is my favourite character from X-2 (Besides Lenne) and I decided that a story told from her point of view during the Crimson Squad years would be cool. D R&R!


I've led a very interesting life, and, it only gets better as time goes on. Outwardly, you wouldn't be able to tell that I appreciate everything, but I do. I am glad for the friends I have made, and I respect the enemies I have beaten.  
Everyone knows me as the dark and mysterious one, the girl who hardly smiles or seems compassionate about anything but fighting. They have no idea. I do care for them, really, but it's hard for me to become too attached. I'm afraid that it might happen again, I'm afraid I might lose the ones I love again.  
It all began with my joining the Crimson Squad. It was a dream come true for a sixteen year old. In fact, two of us in my squad were sixteen, and it was pretty crazy at times. Nooj, our fearless leader, tried to keep us in control, him being a very 'mature' twenty-two year old. It still makes me laugh to this day, he tried so hard to be calm and collected. Futile.  
I was assigned as the recorder for the team and, according to the guys, I may have recorded some spheres that they didn't want me to. In fact, there was this one time, in the Moonflow, while we were sitting atop a shoopuf...  
  
Nooj sat up, pushing his glasses away from the tip of his nose. "Come on you three, this isn't some sort of child's game. This is serious business." He narrowed his eyes at us.  
I pointed the camera at him. "And, I suppose you, Mr. Tough-Macho, is going to try and make us stop, right?" I smiled at his grumpy face.  
Gippal and Baralai kept looking back and forth between us.  
"Well, being the leader and all, I do have the authority to do so." Nooj pointed out.  
Gippal stood and went to sit by Nooj. "Noojster, man, cool down. Enjoy it while you can, I mean, it's so soothing. Look at the beauty around you, man, and then we have Paine here..."  
Baralai shot Gippal a murderous look. "Oh, Gippal, Nooo..That's pawing into bad territory." He crossed his arms and sat back. I rolled my eyes.  
"I do hope you realize that I'm still recording, and, those words will forever be on this sphere." I smirked.  
Gippal stood up and put his face right in the camera. "You heard me." He tapped the lens with his index finger. "So this really is on, eh? Ahem." He cleared his throat. "You totally heard me. I said we have Paine here, contributing to the scenery. Ka-ching!"  
I used my left hand to push his face away. "Come on. Give it up." He shrugged and returned to his seat by Baralai.  
Nooj stood up. "Well, we're almost there. Turn the camera off, I have to explain tactics."  
"Isn't it my job to record everything?" Nooj put his hand over the lens.  
"No, if this was to fall into the wrong hands...they'd know." He grabbed the camera from me and shut it off.  
I sat down quickly. "Fine. All you had to do is tell me why, you didn't have to take it. I'm not an idiot."  
"I know you aren't, but I know you also don't listen to me."  
I brushed my hair from my eyes. "So sorry, Leader." I said 'Leader' with a slight sneer and sat back, watching them converse.  
  
As much as we fought, they truly were my first friends. I cared for them more than I cared for myself. Nooj, our fearless leader. Baralai, the word of reason and reality. Gippal, the humorous and compasisonate one. We made up the squad that would be betrayed...by both our Superiors...and by our own peers.  
Throughout our excursions, I began to learn more about my comrades, which, was to be expected. Some things are humorous to date, such as the time Baralai dyed his hair blue to look like Maester Seymour, and the fact that Gippal once set an Al Bhed machina after Brother and Rikku. Accidently, he says, but, if I know Gippal, he did it purposely to scare them.  
Then, of course, as time went on, I learned that Nooj was what we call a 'Deathseeker'. Basically, the title says it all. He joined the Squad in hopes that he could seek his own death....  



End file.
